Feeding mechanism for sewing-machines.



J. P. WBIS. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLIOATION FILED APILBS, 1903.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

B SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOH:

A TTOH EY J. P. WEIS. FEEDING MECHANISM ron SEWING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION TILED APE-23. 1903.

' Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

8 SHEETS-431K121 2.

INVENTO/h, www/ 1 wmvsssm 7/ J. P. WEIS. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED 11.23, 1903.

Patented Mar. 3, 19M.

a sHssTs-s HEm: a. 1 [19 42 a9 muiw 27 II I um V) I ll WITNESSES: INVENTOR 1 ATTORNEY.

WWTED sra'r ssratrnn r ostrich.

WEIS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOIBI. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS. T0

JOHN P.

METROPOLITAN SEWIN FEEDING MECHANIS G-MA CHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

M For. SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed April 23, 1903. Serial No. 153.907.

To all whom it may concern:

and

a new Mocha ing-Maehines. of which the description,

This inventioi nisni for sewing machines,

JOHN P. Wins, a citiresiding in Brook- State of New and useful Imnism for Sewfollowing is a 1 relates to feeding mechaand particularly to that class of feeding mechanisms known as four-motion feeds.

however,

motion feeds, but may be mechanisms which have the two movements. viz. to and fro, for

It will be obvious,

, from the following description, that the invention is not restricted to tour a p p the purp ing the work.

The oh tion of the ject o a teedmg mechanism may operate upon advance path of reciprocation of the erate upon the the path of reciprocation of the manner of an ordinary anism.

i my invention is to with means whereby work either enof the path of reciprocaneedle. or entirely behind the work both before and lied to feeding ose of advancprovide needle, or opbehind the needle in feeding mech- Another ob3ect of my invention is to provide a ready means whereby be caused to operate upon in front of or behind the tion of the the machine. wit

operation ments. which ma plished instantly according needle, during of the latter;

to predetermined a the adjusting means.

\Yith these 0 which will appear bjccts in view,

hiring the course of this the feed may the work eitherpath of reciprocathe operation of hout aiiecting the stitching and these adjust be extremes, to be accomand from one to the other rrangoment of and others description. my invention consists in the parts, features and after described and In the drawings:

combin claimed. Figure 1 ations hercinis a plan of a portion of a sewing machine showing my feeding mechanism applied tl understood that the ordinar the machine ar my invention wit Fig. 2 is an end wrote, it being y elements of e omitted in order to portray hout confusion of parts; elevation of the feeding mechanism, showing the coiiperation of the presser-foot thereof, throat-plate in section;

vation or the parts shown in and also showing the Fig. 3 is a rear ele- Fig. 2; Fig. 4

a view similar to Figs. 5

. carries near its is aside elevation of the feed-bar and its immediate actuating parts. the driving shaft and the shaft for supporting the feed-bar bemg shown in section: Fig. 3 is an end clevation of the feeding mechanism showing the adjustment of parts for n-oducing a stitching action. vir... with the fecd'dog 1J3 inclined upwardly from front to rear; Fig. (3 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the :uljustment of lhe fecdin; mechaninu so as to produce m'dinary feed. ii... with the feeddog arranged to operate in a horizontal plane while feeding thc work; and Fin. 7 and ti showing. the adjustment oi? the feeding mechanism so as to produce fullin l. \iY... with the feed dog inclined dmvnwardly from front to rear.

The character of machine. to which my invention may be applied. not being, important. I have merely shown the essential parts of the feeding mechanism in the drawings. it being understood that the feeding mechanism of my invention may be applied and adapted to most of the sewing, machines now in use. .\nd it may be further r ll i that the feeding mechanism of niy inwm ion has a particular use in sewing machines wherein it is desired to puckcr or full one portion of the work upon another: or where in it is desired to stretch. or distcnd one por tion of the work upon another: or wherein it is desired to alhzrnatcly full and stretch one portion of the work upon another.

The driving shaft is indicated by 1, and :arries at its forward end a disk iii-wring a diametric. slot 3. in which is adjustable a block 4, connected in the usual manner with one end of the pitman 5. having its other end journalcd upon the shaft (3. which in turn is journaled in the upper end of a rockinn frame 7. suitably pivoted or journaled in the bed-plate S, by means of a shaft 9, fixed thereto by screw 9. The shaft 1. also forward end an eccentric 10, calculated to give the vertical movement to the feed-dog by cooperating with a bracket 11. secured by means of screws, or otherwise. to the under side of the feed-bar 13, said bracket ll. together with a shoe 14. at the bottom of the feed-bar l3. engaging said eccentric and affording the bearing: surfaces thm'cfor. .\t its forward end the feed-bar carries the dog: 1.), adjustably connected to said bar by the screw ll), in the usual manner. Atits rear end, the bar 13, is provided with a screw-threaded aperture 17', in which operates an adjustable screw 18, for a pur-' by means of a pin 20, passingthrough said a lever and also through a lug 21, carried by said bar.- The lever 19, extends rearwardly and is fulcrumed ilpon the shaft 6, carried by the upper end of' the rocking frame 7..

Between its ends, the lever 19, is guided and steadied by lugs 22, carried by the feed bar'13, keepingthe two in proper relation and providing a firm and compact structure. The lever 19, is extended beyond its fulcrum and said extension 23, is provided with a smooth bored aperture 24, through which freely works the adjustable screw 18, the

'head 25, of th'e latter affording a limitation to the movement of the extension 23, on one side, and the jam-nut 26, affording a like limitation on the otherside.

' Journaled upon the shaft 6, is a manipulating lever 27, the same having a downwardly ext nding heel 28, against which bears the upper end 29, of a coiled spring 30. surrounding, and held in position by means of, the shaft 9. The tension of the spring 30, is regulated and controlled by means of a collar 31, having on its inner face a diametric lug or feather 32, which may engage any one of several diametric slots in the bearing 33, of the rocking frame7. The set-screw 34. tapped through the collar 31,

- and engaging'the shaft 9, holds said collar from longitudinal movement on said shaft and also retains the spring in its proper position on the shaft and holds the same from longitudinal movement on the latter. One or more apertures 35, are provided in the collar for the insertion of an implementwith which the collar may be rotated to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 30. Thus the spring 30, normally holds the lever 27, raised, orin the position illustrated in Fig. 2, bytheengagement of the end 29, of said spring with the heel of said lover. The lever27, is provided with a slot 36, which coiiperates with a pin or screw 37, carried by the feed bar 13, thus enabling the lever 27, to raise or lower the feed-bar and change the point of contact of the feed-dog with the work. The lever 27,-is operated by means of a chain, or other suitable connection 38, connected to said lever as shown in Fig. 2, and at its lower end connected to either a treadle orknee-rest,atreadle 38 being shown,whereby the same may be readily" 1,ose,7a2

the feed, the same being carried by the presser-bar 40- and the needle 41, reciprocates in substantially the path illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the above described mechanism, it will be clear that the feed-dog may be held in a horizontal plane, by a proper adjustment of the parts described, thus making it perform the ordinary functions of a four motion feed by engaging the work throughout its length, both in front of and behind the needle. By properly setting the adjustable screw 18, and subsequently setting the nut 26, the rear end of the feed-bar may "be depressed, thus causing the heel-42, of-the dog to descend and the toe 43, thereof to rise relatively to the horizontal plane in which the cloth-plate and work lie,-see line a,

Fig. 4. This causes the dog to. engage the work in advance of the path of reciprocation of the needle and produces uniform puckering, or fulling in the work, which will be caught and maintained by the stitching as the Work is advanced; the degree of the puckering, or fullness will obviously depend upon the adjustment of the feed movement. By a reverse adjustment of the screw 18, and a proper adjustment of the n11t 26,ythe rear end of the feed-bar will be'caused to ,rise and the toe of the feed-dog will be 'caused to descend and its heel to rise relatively to the horizontal plane of the clothplate and the work,see line b, Fig. 4. This will cause the heel of the feed dog to "ngage the work in rear of the path of reciprocation of the ineedle, thus causing the work to be stretched during the operation of stitching, and the degree of the stretching action obviously depending upon the adjustment of the feed movement.

Having established a given feed-stroke, or length of feed, for the block 4 in disk 2 so as to give a uniform feed-movement of, for example, one-eighth of an inch, or eight stitches to an inch, variations of said stroke, or length of feed,

can be obtained,both behind and in front of the needle, by adjusting the screw 18 and setting the nut 26 as above described; that is to say, proportionately with the tilt of the feed-dog, the engagement of the feed-surface of said dog on the work will be lessened, resulting in lessening or reducing the feedmovement, or extent of feed ofv the work. This will be clear when it is remembered that, when the feed-dog is tilted, as indicated by the dotted lines (1. and in Fig. 4, said feed dog operates at an inclination to the work-plate and the work thereon. Hence, the beginning of the stroke of the feed-(log will be with less than its fullle'ngth in contact with the work pressed against the presser-foot, according to the adjustment of said screw 18 and nut 26, and as the'feeddog continues its movement, when inclined feed-bar, or set the gagement with This is clearly shown in F according to line a, Fig. l, downan inclined plane, it gradually leaves the work until only its extreme outer end, or tee, is in enthe work at the end of the feed-stroke, resulting in puckering or fulling the work in "front of the needle. This is more clearly shown in Fig. 7.. When the feed-dog is inclined according to the line b, Fig. l, the beginning of the stroke of the feed-dog will bewith its extreme rear end,

or heel, in firmer contact with the work than the rest of the feed-surface to suhstantially its middle, and as the feed-stroke continues, the dog will travel up an inclined plane and its feed-surface, to substantially its middle. will be gradually brought into firmer engagement with the work. resulting in stretching the work behind the needle. ig. 5. Inboth inheld or retarded to foot thereon.

stances the work will be an extentby the pressure of the The extent to which the falling or stretching will be produced will depend upon the inclination of the feed-dog together with the length of feed-movement, since the degreeof inclination of said feed'dog determines the period of operative engagement of the feedsurface of the Fig. 6 shows the normal cooperative feeding relation between the feed-dog and presser-v foot.

On reference to Figs. 5, 6 and ence in the adjustment of the screw 18 and nut 26 will be seen and clearly justing the parts relatively that the feeddog for only substantially from the middle to its rear end will engage the work to feed the samepractically all in rear of the stitching position. In Fig. 6 the adjustment of the parts such as to produce a normal cooperation between the feed-dog and presscr-foot and cause the work to be fed in the usual manner of a four-motion feed. In Fig. 7 the adjustment is such as to cause the work to be fulled; that is, fed almost entirely by that half of the feed-dog extending from the middle thereof to its front end so that said portion of the feeddog will engage the work almost entirely in advance of the stitching position, thus causing the work to be pushed up to the stitching position rather than be fed equally to and from the stitching position by the'coof the feed-dog, as with the 1 having stitclf-fornung mechanism including operative action adjustment of the dog shown in Fig. 6. It

an inclination of the feed-dog, as shown in Fig. 5, and corresponding. substantially to the line b in Fig. l so that the coiiperative action of the feeddog on the work is substantially in rear of the needle; while the fulling'a'ction of the feed-dog is the result of the inclination" of feed-dog with the work.

' of work described and 7, the differthe capability understood; 1 that is to say, in Fig. 5 the adjustment is for the purpose of stretching the work by so adhalf its length plate for supporting the said dog, as shown in Fig. 7, and corresponding substantially to that indicated by the line a, in Fig. 4,, so that the cooperative action of the feed-dog upon the work will be almost entirely in front of the stitching position.

Having determined the extremes of adjustment desired for the work in hand, the mechanism described will enable the operator to quickly manipulate the feed so as to obtain any desired effect on the work, as has been previously described.

It will thus be seen that I 'haveproduced a feeding mechanism capable of operating in the ordinary way to advance the work to receive the stitches; also that I have produced a feeding mechanism which is capable of eitherstretching, puckering or fulling the work. Also that I have produced a feeding mechanism which may be caused to full and stretch the work alternately as desired, or advance the work evenly to and from the stitch-forming mechanism as in the ordinary machine. Obviously, the amount of stretching, or the amount of puckering or fulling given the work will depend upon the extent or the feed stroke for advancing the work relatively to the needle. And I desire to lay stress upon the adaptability of this feeding mechanism for producing the several kinds performing the several functions above set forth; and also upon of the mechanism to be instantly operated to perform one or the other functions or effects described without affeeling the ordinary running or stitching of the machine.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination. in a sewing machine having stitch-forming i'nechanism including a reciprocating needle: and also having a work; a feeding device operati-ng both in front of and behind the needle; means for actuating said feeding device to traverse the work over said plate; and means cooperating with one of said parts whereby said plate and feeding device may he tilted. relatively from front to rear in the general direction of the feed of the work. whereby the action of said feeding device upon the 'work may be varied according to the extent to which it is tilted.

2. The combination. in a sewing machine a reciprocating needle. and also having a plate for supporting the work; a lccdmg device operating both 1n front of and behind the work over said plate;

be tilted relatively from front to rear in the.general disection of feed of the work, and the degree of relative inclination of said plate and feed- 'whereby either the toe or the heel of said chines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the barto feed the ing device maybe varied.

3. A feeding mechanism comprising a work; means whereby ad ustments of the feed-bar,afeeding device carried by said bar, feed-dog may be obtained so as to either pucker, full, or ordinarily feed the work; and means for controlling the action of the dog whereby predetermined extremes of ad justment' may be obtained to change the functional effect of said dog on the Work during the operation of the mechanism.

11. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; mean for actuating the bar to feed the work; means carrieddoy the bar whereby extremes of adjustment of the feed-dog may be determined; and means for controlling the action of the dog hereby predetermined extremes of adjustment may be obtained during the operation of the mechanism;

12. A feeding mechanism for sewingmachines comprising a feed-bar carryinga dog; means foractuating the bar for feeding the and means whereby said feeding device may be tilted bodily from front to rear in the general direction of its feeding movement, whereby the action of said feeding device upon the w k may be varied according to the extent to which it is tilted.

4:. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-dog; means for giving said dog feeding movements; and means for angularly adjusting said dog relatively to the horizontal plane of the work-plate,

dog may be caused to contact with the work earlier than the remainder in, the feeding movement thereof.

5. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for giving the same feed movement; means for angularly adjusting the feed-dog relatively to the horizontal plane of the Work-plate, whereby one end or the other of said dog is either elevated or depressed; and means whereby predetermined extremes of said adjustment may be instantly obtained during the operation of the mechanism.

6. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog, means for actuating the bar to feed the work; means whereby said dog may be tilted bodily relatively to the horizontal plane of the work-plate from front to rear in the general direction of the feed, and the toe of the dog may be caused to contact with and feed the work first.

7. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the bar to feed the work; means whereby said dog may be tilted relatively to the horizontal plane of the work-plate. from front to rear in the general direction of the feed, including means wheremeans' on the bar for guidingand bracing the lever; and means for adjusting the bar so as to cause either the toe or heelonly of .the dog to operate upon and feed the work. 1-3. A feeding mechanism for sewing ma- Cllines comprisinga feed-bar carrying" a' dog means for actuating. the bar to feed the workincluding a rocking{frame; a pivotal support for the bar independent and means operable during the running of the machine cooperating with the bar "for changing the angle, and for maintaining 'any given angle of the surface. of the feeddog relatively to its normal plane of opera tion.

14. A feedingmechanism comprising 'a feed-bar having a feeding surface; means for supporting the bar: means for actuating the bar to feed the work; a spring-controlled lever normally held in a predetermined position; and operative connections between the lever and bar for varying the angle of the feeding surface of said bar relatively to its by the heel of the dog may be caused to connormal position, whereby various adjusttact with and feed the work first. I ment of said feeding surface may be quickly 8. A feeding mechanism for sewing maproduced to vary the angle of the feeding surface relatively to its normal position.

15. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising' a feed-bar; means cooperating with the said bar for varying the angle of the feeding end thereof relatively to the horizontal plane of the work-plate, including a lever cooperating with the bar chines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the bar to feed the work; and a lever pivoted to said bar; and means cooperating therewith at one end for regulating the position of the dog so as to cause either its heel or toe to contact with the work.

9. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the bar to feed the work; and means for causing either the heel or toe of said dog to contact with the work, said latter means comprising a lever pivoted tothe feed-bar and an adjustable connection between said bar and lever.

10. A. feeding-mechanism forsewing maand means for controlling the normal position of said lever.

16. A feeding mechanism for sewing inachines comprising a feed-bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the same to feed the regulating the length of fe ed.; and means for varying the angle of the dog. relatively work including a lever pivoted to the bar:

of said frame:

for controlling the angle of said feeding end;

work; means cooperating withthe bar forto the horizontal plane of the work-plate, whereby the position of the (log may be controlled so as to cause either its heel or toe to contact with the work first.

17. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar carrying a do"; an adjusting device cooperating with t e bar for controlling the angle of the dog relatively to the horizontal plane of the workplate; a lever having a loose connection with the bar; a spring cooperating with the lever to control its normal position; and means for adjustin the tension of the spring.

18. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-bar; means for actuating the same to feed the work; means for regulating the extent of feed; an adjusting device cooperating with the rear end of the bar; a manipulating lever cooperating with the bar; means cooperating with the lever to control its normal position and hold the same under tension; and means for adjusting the said tension.

19. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed bar carrying a dog; means for actuating the same to feed the work; means for adjusting the dog so as to vary the angle of its surface relatively to the horizontal plane of the work-plate; and

independent means operable during the operation of the machine whereby the angle of the dog may be instantly changed.

20. A feeding mechanism including in combination, a feed bar having a member carrying a feed dog, a feed rocker, an eccentric for raising and lowering said feed bar, a lever pivoted to said rocker and connecting said feed bar to said rocker, means operable from said lever for moving said member ,carrying the feed dog in an are around said eccentric for changing the working position of said feed dog.

21. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a feed dog, means for supporting it whereby it may be shifted from inclined to level position and vice versa, means for shifting its position includin a pivoted lever connected with the feed 0g, means under the control of the operator for operating said lever, and a spring for returnin the feed dog to normal position.

%n testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. WEIS. Witnesses:

CHARLES McG. CHAPMAN, M. B. Home.

Copies 0! thin patent may be obtained for the cent! each,

by addressing the Oommluioner of Paton".

Washington, D. C. 

